Worcestershire Veterans charity says ex-military personal need more support
Stepway helps veterans assimilate into non-military life
A veterans charity in Worcestershire is calling for more support for veterans. The charity says veterans are severely impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
Stepway, who looks after veterans in Worcestershire, says mental health is a key problem facing ex-servicemen and women.
The charity, which is partnered with Veterans' Places, Pathways and People, says a lot of veterans struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, but that is not the number one health challenge.
The biggest mental health issue according to Stepway, is ex-servicemen and women struggling to readapt to civilian life.
The charity has called for more support from the government, while acknowledging progress has been made.
The government recently passed into legislation the Armed Forces Covenant, in which it pledged to treat veterans and their families fairly.
The Minister for Veterans Affairs, Johnny Mercer MP, led the call to enshrine in law support for veterans.
However, many veterans still struggle with civilian life, and some can become homeless or end up in jail.
Cost of living crisis
Interest rates and inflation go up
Inflation rose by 8.8% in the 12 months to January 2023, down from 9.2% in December 2022. With interest rates also rising to 4%, those saving money will earn more interest on their finances, whilst those paying mortgages would pay more interest to the bank.
Energy bills
The price of energy went up incredibly as the cost of living crisis hit, with the gas price spike caused largely by the war in Ukraine. The price cap - which is set by an independent regulator to help offset costs onto customers - was set to rise to £3,549 for an average home in October but a price freeze from the government restricted the typical bill to £2,500. That's still an increase of 27% from the previous energy cap and as it's a cap on unit cost, the more energy you use the higher your bill will be.
Food prices
The cost of a weekly shop also has gone up as a result of the cost of living crisis. As a result of the war in Ukraine, a number of products including cooking oils and wheat have been disrupted. This means that several products are now considerably more expensive, driving bills up for customers.
Prices at the pumps
The average cost of petrol has also rose to unprecedented levels. Supply lines for petrol have been thrown into doubt as a result of the war in Ukraine, as Russia is a large export partner for gas, oil and fuel. In April 2022, the average price for a litre of petrol on the forecourt was 160.2p, whilst a litre of diesel would cost 170.5p. By late June 2022 the price had risen to an average of 190.9p for a litre of unleaded and 198.9p for a litre of diesel. In March 2023 the price wass on average of 147.03 in petrol and 167.04 in diesel.
Average cost of filling up a car with petrol hits £100
On 9th June 2022, the average cost of filling up a car with petrol hit £100 for the first time ever. Diesel had already hit that milestone. It comes as the cost of fuel hit a record high of one pound eighty a litre. The 2p rise was the biggest daily jump in 17 years. Prices have dropped by at least 20p per litre since the high point.